Guests at cocktail parties often stand while eating. In such cases, they frequently hold a plate of food in one hand and a beverage container in the other hand. This creates a problem in trying to transfer food from the plate to one's mouth using the hand that is holding the beverage container. There is also difficulty in trying to support both the plate and beverage container by a single hand while using the other hand to transfer the food to one's mouth. Similar situations occur at parties, picnics, barbeques, sporting events, fast food restaurants, cafeterias and other venues where food and beverage are served. The difficulty of trying to support a food holding receptacle and a beverage container simultaneously either while eating or while carrying the food and beverage represents a long-standing problem and the problem continues to the present day.
This problem of trying to comfortably use a plate of food and a beverage container in a stand-up dining situation has been the subject of many patented inventions. There are two general approaches in the prior art to simultaneously supporting a food holding receptacle and a beverage container by a single hand. In the first general approach the beverage container is held in one hand and a plate or other food holding receptacle is supported on or by the beverage container. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,373 issued to McKee describes a plate that is supportable on a beverage container. The plate is similar to a regular plate, but the base of the plate has an upwardly protruding circular, hollow ridge. The cross section of the ridge resembles an inverted “V”. Accordingly, the ridge has a hollow, upward facing, annular cavity on its undersurface. The upper part (rim) of a beverage container such as a glass or a paper cup is press fit into the annular cavity allowing the plate to be supported on the beverage container.
In another variation of this general approach (U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,052 issued to Damato) the base of the plate contains a radially scored section. The beverage container is forced downward through the scored region of the plate creating a cavity in the plate that encircles the beverage container. The plate is held on the beverage container by the force-fit between the two components. In this approach the beverage container, with the supported plate, is held in one of the user's hands, leaving the user's other hand free to remove items of food from the plate. There are several problems with this approach including the difficulty of repetitively removing the plate from, and replacing the plate on, the beverage container without spilling some of the beverage or tossing food items from the plate. The force necessary to remove the plate from the beverage container could cause food to be displaced from the plate when the plate disengages from the beverage container
In another variation of this approach (U.S. Pat. No. 6,138,860 issued to Comeaux), a plate sits directly on top of a drinking glass. The underside of the plate has a non-slip surface to hinder the plate from sliding off the glass. In this case the user holds the beverage container in one hand, while the plate is supported by the beverage container. This invention suffers from several disadvantages. For example, if another person bumped into the diner, the plate could be easily knocked off the beverage container. Also, such a design would be even less satisfactory for use with certain beverage containers such as bottles.
In still another variation of this approach, exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,954,195; 5,984,131 and 6,360,885 all issued to Krueger and Perez; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,425,480 issued to Krueger, Perez and Jansson the base of the food holding receptacle contains an upwardly protruding hollow hub that is attached to the base of the plate. The plate is mounted on a beverage container by pressing the plate onto a top portion of the beverage container. The upper portion of the beverage container enters the hub from below the plate and through a hole in the base of the plate until the hub engages with the beverage container. The user holds the beverage container in one hand with the plate supported by the beverage container. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,195 several embodiments of such a plate are described, each with a differently shaped hub to snugly fit part of the outer surface of different beverage containers. The inner surface of the hub is designed to be exactly complementary in shape and dimensions to the outer surface of the upper portion of the beverage container. This maximizes the contact area between the inner surface of the hub and the upper surface of the beverage container and provides a snug-fitting or tight-fitting connection between the receptacle and beverage container that requires the receptacle to be pressed onto the upper portion of the beverage container. One of the embodiments shown has a hub with an interior section that matches exactly the outer surface of a conventional beverage can; that embodiment is designed to be pressed onto a conventional beverage can. Another embodiment shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,195 is designed to be supported on a particular shaped bottle where the inner surface of the hub exactly matches a portion of the outer surface of the bottle; the food holding receptacle is pressed onto the bottle. U.S. Pat. No. 5,984,131 describes a food holding receptacle in the form of a plate-lid that snaps onto the upper ridge or rim of a beverage container to form a seal between the receptacle and the beverage container. U.S. Pat. No. 6,360,885 describes a food holding receptacle in the form of a plate-lid that is snap-fit onto a cup having a lip at its upper end. U.S. Pat. No. 6,425,480 discloses food holding receptacles in the form of plate-lids each requiring a differently shaped hub for use with bottles of different diameters. In the U.S. Pat. No. 6,425,480 the plate lid connects with the neck of the bottle by an engagement means such as a screw-on or snap-on connection. In each of the Krueger et al. patents described above some degree of force or twisting must be used in order to properly mount the food holding receptacle on the beverage container. However, a press-fit or snap-on engagement is awkward for mounting a food holding receptacle on a beverage container in a dining situation. Disengaging a receptacle from a beverage container where a press-fit or snap-on engagement is involved could also be awkward. A screw-on engagement mechanism between the food holding receptacle and beverage container adds an extra operation to both mounting the receptacle on, and demounting the receptacle from, the beverage container. This is undesirable particularly when the receptacle must be repetitively mounted on and demounted from the beverage container in a dining situation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,820 issued to Boerner has a downwardly extending member or members on the underside of the base of a plate. This member extends essentially perpendicular to the base of the plate and lies alongside the outer wall of a beverage container positioned immediately under the plate and upon which the plate is seated. The user simultaneous grasps the extending member and the beverage container by a single hand and thereby supports both the plate and the beverage container. In an alternative embodiment of the Boerner invention the downwardly extending member is in the form of a cylindrical arc that extends around more than half the circumference of a cup with a handle, thereby directly supporting the plate; in this case the user does not grasp the extending member but holds the cup by its handle, with the plate supported on the cup.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,240 issued to Norris comprises a plate having handles in the form of loop-shaped members extending downwardly from the underside of the plate. The plate is placed on top of a beverage container that is held in a user's hand, and the plate is gripped by the user placing a finger and a thumb from the hand that is holding the beverage container through the loops.
Other approaches to mounting a plate or similar receptacle on a beverage container are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,058,737; 5,176,283; 5,240,136; and 5,292,028 all issued to Patterson and Patterson; U.S. Pat. No. 5,180,079 issued to Jeng; U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,847 issued to Caldi; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,427,864 issued to Asselin.
The second general approach to simultaneously supporting a food holding receptacle and a beverage container by a single hand involves holding the receptacle in one hand with the beverage container supported on or by the receptacle. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,743 issued to Costarella and Shohara describes a plate containing a downwardly extending hollow tubular section. The beverage container is mounted on the plate by inserting the beverage container into the hollow section. The beverage container rests on the side walls of the hollow section. The user holds the outer wall of the tubular section in one hand with the beverage container supported on the plate.
In another variation of this approach (U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,700 issued to Dumke) the base of the plate contains a hole in the center surrounded by an upwardly-protruding frusto-conical lip. The beverage container is inserted in the hole from above the plate and rests on the perimeter of the hole. The plate, with the beverage container supported thereon, is held in one of the user's hands, leaving the user's other hand free to remove items of food from the plate.
In still another variation of this approach exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,346,070 issued to McSpadden the base of a tray has a section containing a substantially cup-like depression. The beverage container is mounted on the plate by placing the bottom portion of the container into the cup-like depression from above. The beverage container rests inside the cup-like depression. The bottom of the cup-like depression may be removable to facilitate taller (frusto-conical) cups, in which case the container protrudes from the underside of the tray. The user holds the outer wall of the cup-like depression in one hand while the plate is resting on part of that hand and wrist. This leaves the user's other hand free to pick food items from the tray or for other activities.
Other approaches to supporting a beverage container on or by a plate or similar receptacle are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,125 issued to Roberts; U.S. Pat. No. 5,259,528 issued to Pace and Girovich; U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,932 issued to Friedrich; U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,459 issued to Mazzotti; and U.S. Pat. No. D211,532 issued to Ashton. The plate disclosed by McKee in U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,373 (described above) is also capable of supporting a beverage container.
In addition to the prior art found in patents, there have been and are several items on the market for addressing the problem of supporting a plate and a beverage container simultaneously while dining. In particular, plates variously referred to as party plates, cocktail plates or buffet plates are available for holding stemware. Some of these commercial products are occasionally seen at buffet functions and can be found in specialty stores.
The problem of trying to support both a food holding receptacle and a beverage container simultaneously is not limited to the immediate period during which the food and beverage are being consumed. For example, it can be awkward trying to make one's way through a throng of people in a stadium or other packed event while carrying a food holding receptacle and a beverage container simultaneously. The present invention alleviates that problem.
Definitions of Terms
The following terms are defined as used in the specification and claims of this patent. Other terms are defined or explained at their point of usage in the specification.
Food holding receptacle: This is a container for holding food in a dining situation such as a plate, a bowl, a dish, or a tray; the food holding receptacle can also be used when carrying food and/or beverage.
Plate: A plate for holding food, one of various food holding receptacles. The plate (or other food holding receptacle) of the present invention has at least one food holding orientation and may have two food holding orientations.
When a food holding receptacle has only one operative food holding orientation it will be referred to herein as the first specified food holding orientation. When a food holding receptacle has two operative food holding orientations, one food holding orientation will be referred to herein as the first specified food holding orientation which is the more conventional orientation of the plate when dining, and the second is referred to herein as the second specified food holding orientation.
The plate of the present invention contains a base, that is, a bottom section that is usually, but not necessarily, flat.
The base has a first surface that can function as a first food holding section and has a second surface on the face opposite the first surface that in some embodiments may function as a second food holding section. If the plate of the present invention were to be placed in its first specified food holding orientation on a table, the first surface would face upward, and would be suitable for holding food items. The second surface would face downward and would be in contact with or close to the surface of the table.
There are three possible modes for using the food holding receptacle of the present invention. The receptacle of the present invention is designed primarily for being directly supported on a beverage container where the beverage container is held in one of the user's hands (mode 1). Some embodiments may additionally be used in mode 2. In mode 2 of using the receptacle of the present invention a beverage container is supported on the receptacle while the receptacle is held in one of the user's hands. In mode 3 the receptacle is supported on a connector unit which in turn is supported on a beverage container that is held in one of the user's hands. In mode 1 the food holding receptacle of the present invention, in its first specified beverage holding orientation, is stably mounted on a beverage container and the user grasps the beverage container by a single hand. The receptacle is mountable on the beverage container in a loose-fitting relationship and the mounting and demounting of the receptacle relative to the beverage container are both facile operations. The beverage container acts as a handle for gripping and for supporting the food holding receptacle. In mode 2, a beverage container is stably supported on the food holding receptacle while the receptacle is in its second specified food holding orientation, and the food holding receptacle is held by a single hand. In mode 3, the food holding receptacle in its first specified food holding orientation is stably mounted on a beverage container through a connector unit. In some cases, a lower portion of the connector unit snaps, or otherwise firmly connects, onto the upper portion of the beverage container in a sealed or leak-proof manner. The upper portion of the connector unit is insertable into the underside of the receptacle in its first specified food holding orientation and the receptacle is thereby mountable on the connector unit. Alternatively, the food holding receptacle may be mounted on the connector unit in tight-fitting relationship, and the lower section of the connector unit may be mounted on the beverage container in loose-fitting relationship. The user grasps the beverage container by a single hand as in mode 1 and thereby supports the food holding receptacle.
The plate contains a rim, that is, an upwardly positioned segment or wall near the outer edge of the plate when the plate is oriented in one of its specified food holding orientations; the rim prevents food from falling over the edge of the base. Throughout this disclosure it is assumed that the plate (or other food holding receptacle) is positioned with its base generally horizontal when in use, as with a conventional plate. The base could be curved with a wok-type shape where the first food holding surface is concave; in this case, there may be no need for the plate to have a distinct rim.
The food holding receptacle of the present invention has a hole or opening that penetrates the base of the receptacle—the hole extends completely through the base. The hole may have one of several shapes including circular, polygonal and other shapes.
In embodiments of the food holding receptacle of the present invention a collar protrudes upwardly from the hole when the receptacle is in its first specified food holding orientation. This collar is hollow and has an inner surface with a non-uniform cross section; the cross section has a greater internal diameter in the vicinity of the hole than in a region further upward from the hole. In other words, the collar has a constriction upward from the hole in the base when the receptacle is in its first specified food holding orientation. This constriction allows beverage containers to be partially, but not completely, inserted into the collar from the underside of the receptacle (in its first specified food holding orientation). As a result, the food holding receptacle can rest on, and be supported by, the beverage container. The collar serves as a mounting means that renders the receptacle stably mountable on a beverage container in a loose-fitting relationship. In mode 3, the connector unit is partially insertable into the collar from the underside of the receptacle and the receptacle is mountable on the connector unit.
In mode 2 of using the food holding receptacle of the present invention, the plate (or other food holding receptacle) is positioned in its second specified food holding orientation. The second specified food holding orientation is produced by rotating the plate essentially 180° relative to the first specified food holding orientation about a horizontal axis. In the second specified food holding orientation the collar extends below, or largely below, the level of the base. The lower part of a beverage container (in its specified beverage holding orientation) can be inserted into the chamber of the collar from above and the constriction in the collar, or the hole perimeter, prevents the beverage container from falling through the collar. The user grasps the collar by a single hand thereby supporting the receptacle while the beverage container is sitting in the chamber of the collar.
The term beverage container refers to any drinking vessel such as a bottle, a can, a stemware glass, a non-stemware glass, a cup, a mug, and so on. While the term beverage container is used throughout this disclosure it is clear that certain beverage containers, such as some glasses and frusto-conical cups, could also be used to hold other food items such as a milkshake, or solid items such as French fries, a salad, a dessert, and so on. Accordingly it is understood that the beverage container in the present disclosure could be used to hold other food items, particularly in mode 2 of using the food holding receptacle. The term specified beverage holding orientation applies to the beverage container in its upright position, referring to the normal orientation of an open beverage container when it is used for holding a beverage while dining (even though the food holding receptacle of the present invention may also be used in conjunction with unopened or closed beverage containers).
The terms loose-fitting and loosely are used interchangeably in describing the association of the food holding receptacle of the present invention with a beverage container. These terms refer to the facts that:
(i) the food holding receptacle of the present invention can be stably mounted on a beverage container by positioning the receptacle over a beverage container and gently lowering the receptacle onto the beverage container without having to press the receptacle onto the beverage container;
(ii) the properly mounted food holding receptacle can be readily removed from the beverage container without the user having to exert any force other that necessary to overcome the force of gravity; and;
(iii) the receptacle, when stably mounted on the beverage container, is generally rotatable relative to the beverage container about a vertical axis.
For some embodiments of the present invention the terms loose fitting relationship and loosely refer to the relationship between the inner surface of the collar and part of the outer surface of the beverage container. The inner surface of the collar is disposed to partially surround and rest on an upper portion of a beverage container in a loose-fitting relationship. This means that the collar of the receptacle can fit over an upper portion of a beverage container in a facile manner without the user having to press or otherwise force the receptacle onto the container; the receptacle slips onto the beverage container until part of the container encounters a restriction upon which the food holding receptacle can comfortably and stably rest. When the receptacle is mounted on the beverage container part of the beverage container lies within the chamber of the collar. Because of the loose-fitting relationship, the receptacle and beverage container can also be separated from each other in a facile manner without the user having to exert any particular force during the separation, other than perhaps having to overcome the force of gravity. The loose-fitting relationship between the food holding receptacle of the present invention and the beverage container can be illustrated as follows. The beverage container in its specified beverage holding orientation is placed on a table and is not gripped by the user's hand. The food holding receptacle is then mounted on the beverage container in its intended manner of use, simply by allowing the receptacle to slip onto the beverage container. The food holding receptacle is then raised vertically upward. Because of the loose-fitting relationship, the beverage container remains sitting on the table. Separation of the receptacle from the beverage container in the present invention is accomplished through a simple translational motion without the user having to rotate the beverage container relative to the receptacle. Another indication of the loose-fitting relationship between the food holding receptacle of the present invention and a beverage container is that generally the receptacle can be readily rotated (spun) about a vertical axis relative to the beverage container while the receptacle is stably mounted on the beverage container in its specified beverage holding orientation. Because of the loose-fitting relationship between the food holding receptacle of the present invention and a beverage container, the receptacle will fall off the beverage container if the beverage container that is supporting the receptacle is inverted from its specified beverage holding orientation.
In preferred embodiments of the present invention the food holding receptacle rests or sits on a beverage container due to the weight of the receptacle and any food items thereon, with part of the beverage container surrounded by the collar of the receptacle. There is no actual engagement between the receptacle and the beverage container meaning that the receptacle and container are not held together by a press-fit, snap-on, screw-on, twist-on, tongue-in-groove or other such type of specific connection. (In some embodiments of the invention using a connector unit, the lower end of the connector unit is engaged with an upper portion of the beverage container in a leak-proof manner). Despite the loose-fitting relationship between the inner surface of the collar and an outer portion of a beverage container as discussed above, the receptacle is stably mountable on the beverage container as discussed in the next two paragraphs.
In the specification and claims of this disclosure the terms stable and stably refer to mounting of the food holding receptacle on a beverage container, when the receptacle is in its first specified food holding orientation (modes 1 and 3); these terms also refer to supporting a beverage container when the food holding receptacle is in its second specified food holding orientation (mode 2). The terms stable and stably in the context of mode 1, mean that the food holding receptacle, in its first specified food holding orientation, is mounted on the beverage container in such a manner that the receptacle does not easily fall off or slide off the beverage container when in use and that the receptacle is not easily knocked off the beverage container even when the user is given a jolt. The previous comment also applies to mode 3, where a connector unit is used to attach the food holding receptacle to the beverage container. Typically, the food holding receptacle in several embodiments of the present invention would not fall off the beverage container even when the beverage container is tilted as much as 70° to 80° from its specified beverage holding orientation (modes 1 and 3). The stable mounting of the food holding receptacle of the present invention on a beverage container can be further illustrated as follows. A beverage container is held in its specified beverage holding orientation and the receptacle is stably mounted on the beverage container. When the beverage container is then oscillated in a horizontal line at a frequency up to 180 Hz and at an amplitude of about 9 inches for a period of about one minute, the receptacle remains stably mounted on the beverage container. Despite this stable mounting of the food holding receptacle on the beverage container the receptacle is readily removed from the beverage container (mode 1) or from the connector unit that is mounted on the beverage container (mode 3, when receptacle is mounted on the connector unit in a loose-fitting relationship) simply by lifting the receptacle upwards while maintaining the beverage container stationary, or by moving the beverage container downward while holding the receptacle stationary, or by moving the receptacle upward while moving the beverage container downward. This disposition for facile separation of the receptacle from the beverage container, in some embodiments of the present invention, results from the loose-fitting relationship between the receptacle and the outer surface of the beverage container. The receptacle of the present invention does not have to be pressed onto the beverage container (mode 1) or onto the connector unit (mode 2), and the user does not have to apply any additional force to separate the receptacle from the beverage container other than to overcome the force of gravity in some cases.
When the receptacle of the present invention is stably and loosely mounted on a beverage container the receptacle is generally suspended from an upper portion of the beverage container. The section of the inner surface of the collar, or of the perimeter, that rests on the beverage container is referred to as the suspension region of the receptacle.
The terms stable and stably in the context of the second specified food holding orientation (mode 2) of the food holding receptacle mean that the beverage container is supportable on the receptacle in such a manner that the beverage container does not easily fall off the receptacle and is not easily knocked off the food holding receptacle even when the user is given a jolt. Typically, the beverage container in several embodiments of the present invention would not fall off the food holding receptacle even when the receptacle is tilted as much as 70° to 80° from its second specified food holding orientation. The food holding receptacle in its second specified food holding orientation (mode 2) is particularly well suited for stably supporting frusto-conical cups, common beverage cans, and other beverage containers. Despite this stable supporting of the beverage container on the food holding receptacle, the beverage container is readily removed from the receptacle simply by lifting the beverage container upwards while maintaining the food holding receptacle stationary, or by moving the receptacle downward while holding the beverage container stationary, or by moving the beverage container upward while moving the receptacle downward.
The term freely supported or freely mounted is used in association with supporting or mounting the receptacle of the present invention on a beverage container. A freely supported or freely mounted food holding receptacle means that the receptacle is supported or mounted on a beverage container: (i) in the absence of any form of active engagement between the receptacle and container (such as a press-fit, snap-on, screw-on, twist-on, tongue-in-groove or other such type of specific connection), and (ii) without the user having to grip any part of the receptacle or any appendage depending from the receptacle in order to maintain the receptacle firmly mounted on the beverage container. Inversion of a beverage container having a receptacle mounted thereon according to its prescribed method of use causes the receptacle to fall off the beverage container if the receptacle is freely supported on the beverage container.
The term upper portion, used in relation to a beverage container, refers to any portion of a beverage container generally above a section used to grip the beverage container by one's hand when the receptacle is mounted on the beverage container. Thus, while the term upper portion of a beverage container could include the top of the beverage container the term is not limited to the top; for example, the receptacle of the present invention may rest on an upper portion of a long-neck bottle where upper portion refers to the shoulder of the bottle; in this case, the top of the bottle may protrude above the level of the collar. The portion of the bottle extending below the receptacle is gripped by the user (mode 1 and mode 3). In the case of a mug having a handle, the upper portion lies above the level of the handle.
The term frusto-conical is used to describe some beverage containers such as the classic SOLO® cups and common disposable coffee cups that have the general shape of a frustum, that is a truncated cone.